“SNIIIIIIIIIPPP.”

I have to start this blog off with a funny story:

Doug has his hair cut, maybe once a month. I think this is more of a rebellious “I can grow my hair out if I want” phase leftover from army life. (This includes facial hair, full beard and moustache) When he has it cut, he also has them trim his beard and moustache for him. He generally comes home looking very suave and attractive, and most of the time I can’t leave him alone for a few days afterwards 
I was up close to his face before he was leaving for work (because he’s just so good looking when its neatly trimmed!) and noticed one stray hair sticking 4 cm past his other hairs. I poke fun, he tells me to fix it. Very hastily, I grab the best scissors we have that we normally use for trimming hair, and snip it off.

Here’s the sound: “SNIIIIIIIIIPPP.”

The number of i’s represent how many I actually cut off.
Not my best work. His eyes buldge, widening and narrowing at the same time, mostly in my direction. I think my heart was still beating, it was in my throat but it was beating. Fast.
“No no no, its fine babe. Really.” I can’t help but laugh as he goes to the mirror. Facial hair is definitely ONE thing proud men like to have nicely grown, perhaps sometimes burly looking depending on the taste. Awesome!! It was a little patch. R.I.P. Little Patch.

Its been a very interesting winter break (I’m now and as always on Doug’s schedule time wise. I am now referring to blog dates as reference in school schedules!). Our heat was off, many many times. We had men come out at least 6 different times, two different companies. This is extremely irritating, as well as heavy on the pockets. Wires, control boards, cleaning, tidying up, replacing, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning has taken place. We might have the world’s cleanest and best running system that has been checked and re-checked, and is in full working order. (for now, until it breaks down again. I no longer have faith in the piece of junk)

I can honestly and safely recommend Steve Reeves of Reeves Heating and Cooling in Rogers, AR. Great guy, efficient, not a talker. Gets the job done, with the right tools, that he ACTUALLY KNOWS HOW TO USE.

We had date night!! Grandma and Auntie gave Addie two fun filled nights away, she thought it was the best thing to ever happen to her. I scored on a wonderful babysitter for Lil one night, and we were off. Dinner at Texas Land and Cattle (two dollar margaritas, Thursday night. I do NOT recommend the bacon wrapped sirloin unless you can make sure they will cook it exactly as you ask. BUT, the beef soup is amazing. Potato undercooked.) We saw True Grit, great for a western! I didn’t fully understand the hype, because the story line just sort of ends matter of factly. I even bought the third book in a series I was reading (The Uglies, Scott Westerfeld. Fourth book I’ve been told has pros and cons. I am choosing not to read it, I don’t think it has too much to do with the first three, as it has different characters. I WILL say, however, that it IS a little younger than my taste. It’s YA section too, but so is Hunger Games and they were way more intense. Read if you like, they’re interesting enough to read in your quiet time.)

I believe I will be starting The City of Embers series soon. Cooking up times to meet a friend and swap STUFF. Yay!

I was sick as a dog the next day, stomach bug that everyone has gotten by now. Grr. This one came with flu-like pain in my back and legs? Woorrrd, awful.

I’ve also done an organic meal swap with my mommy’s group…cooking for 5-6 families this time! Two meals each. I made Greek Beef and Orzo (Originally Greek Lamb and Orzo, but I have conniptions about buying lamb, haha. Amazing with cheese! Easy too, in fact I might post recipe below!) and Chicken/rice soup.

Greek Beef and Orzo (in less than 30 min)1 lb. ground beef
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
1 cup orzo (orzo is found in rice section)
Salt/pepper, to taste
1 tbs Parsley
1 cup cheese (to taste)

Brown beef in large sauce pan using salt/pepper, drain fat. Add both cans diced tomatoes, and parsley (I added this to recipe, parsley is good and delicious for it!) Bring to boil, turn down LOW and add orzo. Cover and simmer 10-15 min, stirring occasionally until orzo soaks liquid and softens. Sprinkle cheese, serve!! (Thanks Betty Crocker Pasta!!)

My favorite finds recently:
The Falsies, Maybelline mascara. I use waterproof. Be sure to scrape off excess from brush to tube’s side!!
3D Vivid White toothpaste.
TreSemme naturals volume conditioner.

Christmas was great! I undercooked potatoes, danced horribly to Michael Jackson’s Dance game on Wii, and fully recovered from my chemical burn (that I thought was poison ivy in my last post? UHM, so yeah…wouldn’t recommend Olay’s sensitive skin moisturizer!!). I just kept rubbing that stuff in every time it got painful and my drying agent (for poison ivy, no less) would work too well. It just kept making it worse! For A MONTH. ON MY FACE. Thanks!

Lillian and Addie have been super fun…Addie has been going through a phase where she thinks she’s an adult. I think we’ve nipped that in the rear by now. She says funny things, ALL the time.
Like, “Mommy, are those spanking spoons and forks over there??” very loudly in a Wal-Mart aisle, pointing to a random set on an end cap. Hilarious, horrifying, straight up Arkansas-like. (And no, I could care less what anyone feels about that one)

Lillian is signing back to me! Simple, easy things, but this is the most fun stage and I loooove it. She knows “More”, “Milk”, “Cracker”, “Eat” (described with noise too), and "All Done". She recognizes many more, but those are the ones she does on her own with no assistance so far! She says “Thank You”, “Momma/Dada/Addie”, "Bye", "Hi", “Eggs”, and “NO”, which is by far her favorite.

Doug has recently found out good news, he might be graduating with an associates in science by the end of this year! If he can keep this up, this running dog tired and crazily thing til then. I’m so proud of him, I just keep hoping we will have an amazingly good 2011!!

To sum it up, its been a rocky start…but I’m so grateful for everything God has worked out for us, and we’re anxious to see what this year unfolds for The Erbs!!

-Kesolyn